


Angel

by thearkwrites



Category: Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2015)
Genre: Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-18
Updated: 2015-10-21
Packaged: 2018-04-27 00:08:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,770
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5026015
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thearkwrites/pseuds/thearkwrites
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Grimlock and Bumblebee have their first date. Strongarm makes sure it goes all according to plan. Her plan.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Shameless, cloying sweetness ahoy. Takes place before Windblade becomes an official part of the team.

The list was full of big red check marks. 

A good sign. A great sign even.

Strongarm wanted to feel pleased and accomplished: pleased because everything written on the list entailed a certain order that they, the Autobots of Earth, respected and understood without question; accomplished because all the check marks were accordingly drawn up by her own digits. Strongarm knew that she rightfully deserved to feel proud of the list. But not yet. 

Not just yet.

She gave it one final scrutinizing look, as if committing every single word, sequence of words and mark into her memory bank. With the intense expression contorting her faceplate it may have well been just that.

Every Cybertronian and Earthling in the immediate vicinity held their breath. They watched and waited.

Strongarm's features softened after a moment. Satisfied, she lifted her helm to address all who were present.

"Right." Strongarm began in the most commanding tone she could muster. Try as she might to project authority through her voice, there was no hiding the edge of delight that laced her words. Her smile didn't help in the slightest. "Just to be clear, let's go over our roles one more time, okay? Drift?"

The larger mech straightened himself. "I shall be preparing the nutrient and flavor-rich energon, as is appropriate for what will surely be an enchanted evening."

Strongarm nodded approvingly then looked over to Drift's immediate left. If talking to Drift was nice and easy, his seat mate was going to be the complete opposite. "Sideswipe?"

"Vocals, because I'm the only one here with a decent-enough-sounding vocalizer, it seems." Sideswipe said, puffing up his chest plates in pride. "Not that it's a difficult feat to accomplish in this set-up, mind you."

The heated glare he received did little to temper his swelling ego. Sideswipe knew he was right, knew that Strongarm couldn't say or do anything to disprove his statements and he relished it. A good amount of time would have to pass before the red mech came down from his self-congratulatory high. Strongarm eventually decided that the best course of action was to simply move on, but not before throwing one last dirty look in Sideswipe's direction.

He either didn't notice or didn't care.

"Denny?" Strongarm turned her attention to their human aide.

"Musical accompaniment, along with the surprisingly talented Jetstorm and Slipstream!" Denny presented the minicons with a grand, sweeping motion and finished with a bow. "Seriously, you guys. You absolutely _killed_ it at the talent show. Let's you and me do it again for a good cause!"

"Indeed, Jetstorm and myself shall be putting our more sophisticated skills to excellent use." Slipstream quipped.

"For it is as Master Drift said that we must be well-rounded mechs who are not just skilled in aspects martial but genteel as well." Jetstorm added as he gazed up at their master with adoring optics. Drift gave each of his pupils a curt nod, and the both of them returned it in kind.

Strongarm gestured to the younger human waiting by her pedes. "Russell?"

"Waiter extraordinaire!" Russell declared and copied his father's gesture, but much more extravagantly. "Just call me 'Jean-Luc Pierre', thank you!"

"And finally, Fixit?"

The other minicon in their company perked up at the mention of his name. "Lights, extra sounds, atmosphere and miscellany! Worry not, cadet Strongarm, you can leave everything bells-smells-Kells" _thwack_ "-ELSE!...to me!"

"Good job, everyone!" Strongarm beamed. Now was the time to feel pleased and accomplished. Now that perfect order had been achieved amongst their ranks, now that confidence and anticipation pulsed in her spark could Strongarm permit herself to feel pleased and accomplished. "Any more questions before we begin 'Operation: An Officer and a Dinobot'?"

One of the other Autobots raised his servo. Strongarm scowled at him. "Sideswipe?" she said, heaving an irate sigh.

"Yeah, I got a question: what's an 'angel'?"


	2. Story

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sickening sweetness, ahoy. _Caveat Emptor_.

“Are you ready, sir?”

Strongarm's voice came from behind them and was high-pitched, enthusiastic. Bumblebee felt a small twinge of anxiety tickle his spark, but suppressed it as quickly as it came. This _was_ Strongarm after all. It was largely she who planned this surprise for him and Grimlock, There was input from the others—as Sideswipe was wont to point out—and it was all thought over and incorporated when deemed suitable for the overall theme of the surprise. Still, in the end, the thrust of the surprise rested upon Strongarm's pauldrons.

At least the surprise would be a safe one.

“As ready as I'll ever be.” Bumblebee said.

“What about you, Grimlock?”

“Ready to go, baby!” the Dinobot bellowed.

“Good! Surprise!”

Bumblebee's engines stalled in anticipation as the blindfold was pulled off. He shuttered his optics once, twice, several times to readjust their depth of field. Hazy splotches of color became clearer and sharper until...

“...By the Primes.”

Stunning.

There was no other way to describe it.

“It” being the transformation their command center had undergone; “command center” being the operative word for the general area No longer was it just a bare-bones, ramshackle arrangement of Cybertronian technology and Earthen paraphernalia. The Bee Team had, through ingenuity and a small miracle, turned it into a rather chic and sophisticated venue. 

The walls of junk were hidden by red and beige cloth, the ground covered by a floor of connecting glass panels. Faintly glowing lights were strung up and around the area in a pattern reminiscent of a starry night sky. An empty stage was located in far-left corner, and right in the center were a table and two chairs surrounded by a ring of rose petals.

It was all so... _romantic_.

“Wow...” Grimlock said with an impressed whistle. 

“Strongarm...what is all this?” Bumblebee wondered aloud.

“Isn't it obvious, sir?” Strongarm moved in front of the two mechs and turned on her heels to face them.  
Her optics and her smile were huge and bright. “It's the venue for you and Grimlock's first date!”

Bumblebee's faceplate fell. “Wait, _what_?”

“Cool!”

“Table for two?” Russell asked as he appeared before them, attired in what appeared to be a human waiting staff uniform. From the tips of his white gloves down to the soles of his black shoes, he looked every bit the part; the thin, drawn-on moustache was a nice little touch. 

“Excuse me, table for two, _oui_?” he repeated.

Unsure of what to say or what to do in response, Bumblebee glanced to Strongarm for guidance. She said nothing and just kept smiling. Bumblebee pursed his lip plates together in thought. He returned his attention to Russell, who was now looking up at him expectantly. The yellow mech finally gave his answer after another moment of quiet consideration. “Uh, I...guess?”

“Excellent!” Russell grinned. “Walk this way, please.” he dramatically motioned towards the table in the center.

“I'll leave you two in his servos.” Strongarm said before she moved away from the group.

Bumblebee silently watched Strongarm disappear behind the cloth barriers. She seemed happy. Russell seemed happy. Grimlock was excited, as per usual. So why was he still nervous? Bumblebee reckoned he was just being cautious, as per his status as team leader. He would've mulled it over some more were it not for Grimlock yanking him towards the center table. The Dinobot's hefty frame shook with emotion. “I dunno what's happening but I bet it's gonna be awesome!”

The yellow mech was about to say something when, from out nowhere, Jetstorm and Slipstream popped up to pull their chairs for them. Grimlock and Bumblebee seated themselves, giving thanks to the minicons as they did.

“Think nothing of it.” Slipstream said, bowing.

Jetstorm bowed as well. “Now if you'll excuse us, we must prepare ourselves for our true roles.”

The two minicons left without sparing another word.

Russell climbed up the set of human-sized steps beside the table, carrying a cube of vibrantly colored energon in each hand. “I hope you two are hungry this fine, _fine_ evening because we just happen to have a galaxy-famous Autobot chef here with us tonight.” he informed the couple as he gingerly set down a cube in front of each one. “In fact, why don't you say 'hi' to him?” Russell said with a sweep of his arm.

Bumblebee and Grimlock followed Russell's extended hand to see Drift peering out from behind a bit of cloth. They waved at him and he waved right back.

“Our chef has enriched your meal with a whole bunch of stuff I can't remember, but I can assume that it all tastes great. Should you need a refill or two, please don't hesitate to summon me, Jean-Luc Pierre, waiter extraordinaire. _Bon appétit_!”

It was Russell's turn to take his leave, and he made a point to do so with much pomp and flourish. He turned stiffly and marched off, nose upturned and chest puffed.

Finally, Grimlock and Bumblebee were alone.

“Our first date.” Grimlock said dreamily.

“In a junkyard on Earth, no less.” Bumblebee sighed. “Not quite what I was expecting but—”

The Dinobot looked at him in surprise. “But...?”

Bumblebee sighed again. “Forget it, Grim. I'm just—I'm still—this all just happened so fast. I mean, one minute we're telling the others about _us_ , and the next they're going through all this trouble for _us_.”

“Is that good or bad?” Grimlock asked.

Bumblebee shrugged. “I don't know, Grim. I really don't.”

* * *

Bumblebee and Grimlock didn't seem happy, ergo Strongarm wasn't happy.

“They don't look happy.” Strongarm noted gloomily as she peeked between the makeshift cloth walls.

“Don't worry about it, Strongarm. They're just nervous, that's all.” Denny reassured her. “Give them a few and the next thing you know, they'll be all over each other.”

“Are you sure? What if they find this whole thing too corny? I know the lieutenant enjoys Earth culture a lot but—”

“Strongarm.” Denny's tone of voice was firm but gentle. “Believe you me, everything'll turn out fine. I can feel it in my bones. And these bones do not lie.”

* * *

A bout of uneasy silence passed between the two mechs.

The sight of Grimlock in a despondent state ensured it wasn't to last. Bumblebee made sure of it.

“But like I said, forget it. This is our first date. Let's make it count.” he said as he flashed a smile at the mech across him.

The other mech's expression brightened. “Okay, I can do that! I saw that in a movie once!” Grimlock placed his servo on top of Bumblebee's, eliciting a gasp from the smaller Autbobot. 

“So,” he said while seductively waggling his optic ridges. “you come here often?”

Bumblebee let out a light, airy laugh. The first of many to come. “Not often enough, I guess.”

“Well you should. You really brighten up the place.”

“Grim!”

Grimlock snickered at the sight of Bumblebee's flushed faceplate. “It's true!” he said between snorts.

The rest of the evening after that was as relaxing as could be. Russell continuously supplied them with energon, and they enjoyed it immensely. Pleasant, sweet and a tad fizzy, it went down smoothly and settled in their tanks without a fuss. It was almost like high grade in its flavor and richness. Though unlike high grade it didn't muddle up their processors nor give them an intoxicated buzz. They remained perfectly lucid all throughout and interspersed their energon consumption with casual conversation. Everything and anything under the sun was discussed with zeal. Old war stories were exchanged, hilarious incidents shared, and not once did they let go of each other's servo.

The hours waned. Dusk bled into night.

At their umpteenth helping of Drift's Special Energon—as they had come to call it—Russell spoke to them once more. “Gentlebots, how has your evening been so far?”

“Wonderful, thank you, Rus—Jean-Luc Pierre.” Bumblebee said.

“ _Fantastique_ , but alas, I must now ask you to leave your table...” Russell gestured to the stage. “...so that you can give it up for the 'Crystal City Crooners'!”

Bumblebee and Grimlock watched four very familiar figures step onto the stage. The “Crystal City Crooners” were none other than Sideswipe, Denny, Jetstorm and Slipstream, all decked out in jackets and neckties and towing instruments along with them. Or, in Sideswipe's case, carrying a vintage microphone that was just the right size for a Cybertronian. The other “Crooners” were equipped with more traditional instruments: Denny with a saxophone, Jetstorm with a guitar and Slipstream with an entire drum kit.

“ _Hel_ —lo, everyone!” Sideswipe beamed. “The best part of your night is about to begin!”

* * *

“Drift, the table! The table!” Strongarm hissed, panicking.

“I am on it.”

With that, Drift slipped out of their cover to move the table and chairs. Strongarm breathed in relief. Now he could focus her attention on the minicon currently busying himself with the _Alchemor_ 's control panel.

“Fixit, how's our sound and lighting system?”

Grinning, Fixit gave her the closest he could form to a thumbs up. “Absolutely prepared, with nary an inch for a single error!”

“Are you sure?”

“Absolutely! Or knob—slob—throb” _THWACK_ “—BOB's!...My uncle!”

Strongarm looked at him blankly. “What does that mean?”

“I have no idea!”

* * *

Bumblebee and Grimlock stood, side by side, and waited for the show to begin. While Denny and Jetstorm assisted Slipstream in setting up his drum kit, Sideswipe took to regaling the couple.

“A lovely night, a truly _beautiful_ night, isn't it? If there's one good thing about this little podunk rock, it's that the nights are absolutely stunning.” Sideswipe looked at Bumblebee then at Grimlock with affection. “But even then, it still doesn't feel complete. Something's still missing. Does anyone here know what? Grim?”

“Wrestling gatoroids in the mud?” Grim replied hopefully.

“Close, but not quite. No, no. What a night like this desperately needs is... _romance_.”

The music started, from the band and from the speakers around the command center. It was a simple, relaxing beat that had Sideswipe rhythmically swaying his hips and bobbing his helm. Several seconds in, he began to sing.

_Earth angel, Earth angel, will you be mine?  
My darling dear, love you all the time.  
I'm just a fool, a fool in love with you._

Grimlock smiled, delighted. “Woah, Sideswipe sounds great!” he whispered to Bumblebee.

The smaller mech nodded in agreement. “Yeah, he does.”

“What do we do now?”

“What else?” Bumblebee said as he took hold of the other's claws. “We dance.”

_Earth angel, Earth angel, the one I adore.  
Love you forever and ever more.  
I'm just a fool, a fool in love with you._

Grimlock wasn't moving.

“Grim, what's wrong?”

“'Bee , I, uh, I don't know how to dance.” Grimlock admitted sheepishly. “Dinobots ain't exactly made for dancing, y'know.”

“Oh, Grim. Here, let me show you.”

Bumblebee lead them in the dance while Grimlock followed his every movement. They started out slow and awkward. The Dinobot lumbered about gracelessly and uneasily, his usual boldness absent. He was almost timid in his approach.

To Bumblebee, this simply wouldn't do.

_I fell for you and I knew  
The vision of your love's loveliness._

All it took for Grimlock to put more energy in his step was an encouraging smile from Bumblebee. They moved back and forth to the music, Bumblebee guiding Grimlock every step of the way, their frames close and their faceplates not quite touching.

_I hope and I pray that someday  
I'll be the vision of your hap—happiness._

“Hey, 'Bee, can—can I lead?” Grimlock stammered.

“Oh, Grim, you need only ask.” Bumblebee said and passed the lead onto Grimlock.

_Earth angel, Earth angel, please be mine.  
My darling dear, love you all the time.  
I'm just a fool, a fool in love with you._

“'Bee?”

“Yes?”

“Is this how you imagined our first date would go?”

“No.” Bumblebee leaned his helm against Grimlock's chestplates. “This is better.”

_I fell for you and I knew  
The vision of your love's loveliness._

The lights dimmed, cloaking everything in near darkness. Sideswipe continued singing, Bumblebee and Grimlock kept on dancing.

_I hope and I pray that someday  
I'll be the vision, the vision of your happiness.  
Whoa—oah—oah_

As the music swelled, the glass floor beneath their pedes lit up. A dazzling array of multi-colored lighting bathed them in purples and pinks.

They hardly noticed.

They were too focused on each other.

_Earth angel, Earth angel, please be mine.  
My darling dear, love you for all time.  
I'm just a fool..._

Grimlock dipped Bumblebee low and captured his lip plates in a deep kiss. Bumblebee kissed him right back.

_...a fool in love with you._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sideswipe's singing the Marvin Berry & The Starlighters' cover of "Earth Angel", a beautiful tune from the unforgettable _Back to the Future_. Darren Criss would very like do an equally heartwarming cover if given the chance.


End file.
